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SPOTLIGHT

Invitation to panel forum, "NYU's Kalman Silvert: Engaging Latin America, Building Democracy"

Date and time: Friday, September 16, 2016, 5:30 PM. Location: NYU’s King Juan Carlos of Spain Center, 53 Washington Square South in Manhattan.

Peter F. Geithner, Authority on Asia

Peter F. Geithner, who worked for the Ford Foundation for 28 years and was a former president of The LAFF Society, died July 29 at his home in Orleans, Mass.

Celebrating LAFF's First 25 Years

Nearly 200 people gathered in New York City on May 17 to celebrate an organization that Darren Walker, the Ford Foundation’s president, marveled at how, from a small beginning 25 years ago, has come to “inspire such loyalty, compassion and commitment.”

LAFF, the Early Years

Richard Magat and the late Edward Meade, Jr., came up with an idea 25 years ago to create a way for former Ford Foundation staff to stay in touch. Thus began what now is The LAFF Society, an organization with nearly 500 members and branches in nine cities worldwide.

U.S. in Southeast Asia, And Lessons for Today

Eisenhower and Cambodia focuses on U.S. policy toward Cambodia and its “mercurial leader”, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, who, the review states, “was able to take advantage of the First Indochinese War to gain independence from France”.

Stories of Philanthropy as An Agent of Social Change

“These stories...are told through the lens of a grantmaker illuminating the sorts of considerations, dilemmas and uncertainties a grantmaker might wrestle with when making a grant to effect positive social change...”

Nellie's Corner

Nellie Toma, secretary-treasurer of LAFF and assistant editor of the newsletter, has written this as the first of an occasional column.

Philanthropy Must Step Up for Fairness in Civil Justice

By Mary McClymont

For foundations that have been making grants for years to press for an overhaul of America’s criminal-justice system, it’s heartening to see that the nation is finally getting serious about pushing solutions to address a devastating challenge.

Personals

Nellie Toma celebrates a birthday with Radhika Balakrishnan and Natalia Kanem; Fran and David Korten receive an award.

Alison Bernstein, "a Powerful Voice for Justice"

Alison Bernstein, director of the Institute for Women’s Leadership Consortium (IWL) at Rutgers University and a former vice president of the Ford Foundation, died from cancer June 30.

Philanthropy in Africa and the “Enduring Network” of LAFF

By Alan Fowler

The Ford Foundation creates enduring networks in mysterious ways.

Tracing the Development of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative

Creating organizations in the American states that would make their budgets and tax policies more transparent.

Thomas Miller, Innovator for Social Change and Novelist

Thomas Miller, who worked for the Foundation for 14 years as director of Program Related Investments (PRI) and then as assistant representative in the Nairobi office, died March 19 at his home in Kentucky.

Introduction: The Ford Foundation and Civil Rights

Some key people, past and present, were instrumental in positioning the Foundation in the 20th century as a world-wide leader in promoting civil and human rights and social justice.

Lynn Walker Huntley: Major Force for Rights, Equity and Justice

Lynn Walker Huntley, who worked tirelessly throughout her life to promote the causes of civil and human rights and social justice, died August 30 at her home in Atlanta, Ga.

Robert Curvin: A Life Committed to Hope

Robert Curvin, who died at his home in Newark, N.J., on September 28, lived a life committed, as he once wrote, to the “notion that you have to have hope or you run away.”

Jacqueline Berrien: Fighter for “a Fair Chance”

Jacqueline Berrien, a civil rights lawyer who was a program officer in the Ford Foundation’s Peace and Social Justice Program, died November 9.

Sara Rios: “Passion for the Under-served”

Sara Rios, a former director of the Foundation’s Human Rights, Equality and Justice unit, died September 10 at her home in Toledo, Ohio.

Lessons Lynn Taught Me

By Mora McLean

As she was with so many who were fortunate enough to be taken under her wing, Lynn Huntley was a singularly profound and positive influence in my life.

Picking up the Torch

By Emmett Carson

Lynn Huntley saw joining the Ford Foundation as a unique opportunity to move from fighting for individual civil rights to championing human rights worldwide.

Criminal Justice Reform: Today's Defining Civil Rights Issue

By Anthony Romero

There are 2.2 million people behind bars in this country. Millions more formerly incarcerated Americans have been deprived of their ability to work, learn and participate in our democracy.

Advances in the Lives of Latinos

A short summary of some of the milestones in the 1970s and 1980s that changed and improved the lives of millions of Latinos living in the United States.

Shep Stone and “Unintended Consequences”

By Willard J. Hertz

A recent story in the LAFF newsletter on Shepard Stone, the director of the Foundation’s European program in the 1950s, stirred my memory of the small but pivotal role I played in Shep’s decision to support the return of economist Andreas Papandreou to Greece.

Indonesian Constitutional Court Fails to Give Girls Better Protection

By Rosalia Maria Emanuela Sciortino

By opting for legalistic excuses rather than substantial arguments, the Constitutional Court has missed an opportunity to eliminate or at least reduce one of the most obvious forms of gender inequity in Indonesia.

A Look Back at Funding Liberation Struggles

By David Bonbright

The first article in The Ford Foundation in South Africa: Part 2.

The Ford Foundation in South Africa: Part 2

David Bonbright and John Gerhart explore the development of the Ford Foundation’s commitment through the crucial decade of the 1980s, when the Foundation played a pivotal role in creating the conditions that led to South Africa’s independence.

The "Drivers" Behind Ford's Critical Work in the 1980s

By David Bonbright

The second article in The Ford Foundation in South Africa: Part 2.

Lessons from South Africa For Enhancing Philanthropy

By John Gerhart. The third article in The Ford Foundation in South Africa: Part 2.

News about Former Foundation Staff

8/22/2016

Rosalia Sciortino, Alan Feinstein, Bonnie Jenkins, Roland V. Anglin, and Marta L. Tellado are in the news.

CLIPPINGS

Selection Of Articles Published Elsewhere

The Iran nuclear deal has been a Middle East game-changer

6/14/2016

By Gary Sick and Frank G. Wisner. Two years ago, a new war in the Middle East appeared very likely. The government of Iran, despite enduring the most severe international sanctions ever imposed on a noncombatant power, insisted on increasing its nuclear program.

Opinion: Robert Curvin, and Leaving the World Better Than the Way You Found It.

By Roland V. Anglin | 10/5/2015

Celebrating and commemorating a man whose accomplishments cannot be contained by any one list.

Iran After the Deal

By Gary Sick | 9/10/2015

What to Do When the JCPOA Expires.

Saudi Arabia's Widening War.

By Gary Sick | 6/8/2015

Obama is trying to make peace with Iran. The new Saudi king is on the course for war.

The Danger of a Failed Iran Deal

By Gary Sick | 3/10/2015

If you want a nuclear Middle East, there’s no better way than to let Tehran walk away.

Now Showing: Brian Mori's Play

2/24/2015

Brian Richard Mori’s celebrated play Hellman v. McCarthy is being performed in Beverly Hills, Calif., at Theatre 40 and the Saban Theatre through Sunday, March 1. Next: Salt Lake City.

A Musical Event with John Koprowski: Five Years That Rocked the World 1964-1969

2/16/2015

A retrospective look at an era which influenced music, culture and history for the next half century.

Men are problem and solution to violence against women, says Breakthrough's founder Mallika Dutt

1/19/2015

In the wake of rising incidents of violence against women across the country, Iamin talked to Mallika Dutt, founder of Breakthrough.

Don't Let Iran Walk Away From the Table

By Gary Sick | 11/21/2014

If the November 24th deadline isn't met, everything could unravel at once.

Strikes on ISIS. Now What?

9/25/2014

Bassma Kodmani contributed to the "Room for Debate" discussion in the New York Times.

Brian Mori's play on Channel Thirteen

9/25/2014

Brian Richard Mori's play "Hellman v. McCarthy," will be aired on October 9th and 12th during Channel Thirteen's weekly series, "Theater Close Up".

National Security Council Veteran Weighs In on Foley, Hostages, and ISIL's Brutality

8/21/2014

The brutal killing of American photojournalist James Wright Foley by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (or Syria) has sparked outrage. With ISIL threatening to kill a second hostage, journalist Steven Soltoff, The Wire spoke with Gary Sick, who served on the National Security Council for President Jimmy Carter.

Four Dimensions of Nuclear Chess Game

By Gary Sick | 5/5/2014

A government negotiating with another government is almost inevitably required to conduct a second negotiation with its own domestic constituents whose own interests will be affected by the outcome.

Faith in Fish

By David Finkelstein | 3/20/2014

AN OUTDOOR EDITOR FRIEND OF MINE, A MAN BORN in the South but long resident in New York City, recently moved back to Alabama. Calling to say hello from his new home in a Birmingham suburb, he reported "a big difference down here from up there."

Coalition Seeks Public's Advice on New York City's Goals

11/11/2013

As Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio prepares to succeed Michael R. Bloomberg, a coalition of leading foundations will unveil an ambitious citywide effort to enlist regular New Yorkers in sharing their views about the city’s future.

Ubinas Reflects on Six Years as President of the Ford Foundation

8/6/2013

In a wide-ranging interview with Rahim Kanani of the Skoll World Forum, Ubiñas reflects on his tenure at the foundation, the state of philanthropy today, measuring and evaluating long-term progress, critical lessons in leadership, and much more.

After a Gay Rights Victory, A New Challenge for Grant Makers

By Michael Seltzer | 7/12/2013

The Supreme Court found that the Defense of Marriage Act violates the constitution of the United States and that marriage equality is the law in those states where same-sex marriage is legal. It’s also time for philanthropy to reflect on its power to further social justice

Warren Wilson president is down-to-earth guy

4/26/2013

For those of us whose leanings are toward gentler disciplines such as literature and philosophy, a quick perusal of Warren Wilson College President Steve Solnick’s curriculum vitae might invite a touch of academic intimidation.

Reminiscences on a grantee-grantor relationship

By Rosalia Maria Emanuela Sciortino | 1/16/2013

When one reaches a certain age – as in my case – there is a tendency to look back and reflect on one’s experiences, including the transformations in one’s own career landscape over time. In the more than 20 years of working with international philanthropic and development organisations of a grant-making nature in Southeast Asia, I have seen many ideologies and trends emerge and wane.

Mideast peace starts with talking to Iran

By Gary Sick | 11/16/2012

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama is getting a lot of free advice. Here's a question, not an answer: With every issue in the Middle East intertwined with every other, like a giant bowl of spaghetti, where do you begin?

Former White House Aide Reviews 'Argo'

By Gary Sick | 10/18/2012

On NPR's Talk of the Nation, Gary Sick reviews the movie Argo that "tells the story of the six American diplomats who narrowly escaped the U.S. embassy in Tehran as the Iran hostage crisis erupted in late 1979."

Ford Needs a Smarter Approach to Newspaper Grants

8/14/2012

The Ford Foundation’s announcement last month that it is providing $500,000 to help The Washington Post strengthen its coverage of government-accountability issues is inappropriate and a waste of money.

Blame Saddam: Another Way of Seeing Iran's Nuclear Program

4/20/2012

“When the revolution happened in 1979 the Shah of course was in the midst of developing a nuclear power program, and everybody suspected that he was really going to go for a bomb,” notes Gary Sick, a Columbia University expert who was at the National Security Council when...

Meeting Iran: A Nuclear Summit Not for the Faint-Hearted

By Gary Sick | 4/11/2012

Gary Sick worked in international affairs at the Foundation from 1990 to 1995. The United States, Iran, and five other countries—Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany—are set to engage in a new round of talks in Istanbul, Turkey beginning on Friday and continuing into Saturday.

Foundation Files Reveal Insights on Culture

4/9/2012

James Baldwin needed some money. It was 1959, six years before Congress created national endowments for the arts and humanities to support struggling artists and cultural institutions....Mr. Lowry had the last word in deciding which artists, writers and performers would receive grants from the Ford Foundation, the richest private source of cultural largess at the time.